Unwritten
by takingtheblade
Summary: Alice travels to Wonderland after wishing to escape the pressures of society. But once she arrives, she is faced with confronting her fears as she finds love in the arms of someone unexpected. Corny, I know! XD Rated T for chapters to come.
1. Gone Are The Days

Hello everyone! A little back-story: This is to be a Hatter/Alice fic inspired directly by Bri-chan and zippitydodah27's story When Curiosity Met Insanity (which is a community that can be found on livejournal). I will be using the name they created for the mad hatter and therefore a large amount of credit goes to them. However, this **will not** be following the plotline of their story **at all**. In this fic Alice is eighteen and lives in a world with a lot of other Disney characters, which Wonderland is a part of. However, she has never visited Wonderland before. Obviously I do not own any of the characters from Lewis Carroll's works. I'm simply borrowing them in an attempt to create fluffy Alice/Hatter ship moments. This is my first fanfic that I have taken seriously…so I hope you all like it!

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The wine glasses clinked above the sounds of laughter and merriment; the dark liquid oozed down the throats of the guests as they consumed their drinks. Alice sat at her assigned table, surrounded by her family, yet felt utterly alone. Wendy, her friend and confidant, had just left her childhood behind and bravely faced the duties society so harshly bestowed upon her. She had smiled, but Alice had heard the barely audible hesitation in her voice during the vows. She must have felt Alice's stare on her during the ceremony, deliberately not allowing her eyes to lock with hers. Alice sighed. How foolish she had been to think that wishes could simply come true and that everyone was awarded a happily ever after. She had clung to the thought that something would happen to disrupt the wedding and everyone would accept it, everything would be well. But as she saw Wendy dancing there with her new husband, she knew that the hours locked in her room after the discovery of Peter's visits to her room late at night had crushed her will to pursue all the things they had giggled about privately whilst discussing their girlish fantasies. Those days were gone and soon Alice would be expected to follow in her footsteps. She could not believe that she had been so naïve. She felt numb as her stomach turned.

It was time to throw the bouquet and she was ushered by her sisters and mother to join the group of women who joyfully placed themselves in front of the bride. Alice turned, glancing back at her family nervously, but was met only with the stern glare of her mother. She turned once again, just in time to see the delicate ball of lace and silk flowers flying directly at her. She grabbed at it in a desperate attempt to shield her face, realizing the irony of her situation. She was met with the jealous faces other the other girls, the gleeful squeals of her sisters, the approving nods of her parents, and the thought that perhaps Wendy that purposefully aimed at her. For what reason she did not know.

Alice reclined in the sitting room staring at the ceiling with Dinah sleeping on the floor beside her. Her mother had talked of nothing but her possible engagement on the way home, to a man she had never met. What a frightening proposition. But then maybe she was overreacting. Maybe this was just how life was."What a convoluted day it has been," she sighed to herself. She gazed at the cracks in the ceiling paint and frowned. "Nothing seems to be the ideal I imagined it would be as a child," she murmured, turning on her side as if to hide from her thoughts, squeezing her eyes tightly. 'Of course I blame Mr. Dodgson, filling my head with such silly things.' She paused. 'No, my fantasies were my own. I mustn't push the responsibility on him.' She opened her eyes to find herself staring back at her, by way of the large ornate mirror propped against the wall. 'Hmph. I fear you shall never find a husband looking like that!' she scolded herself. Secretly she hoped she was correct. Still, she felt like the ugly duckling compared to her sisters who were already wives. She arose and walked to the mirror, sitting at its base. Turning her head side to side, she examined herself from every angle. She would just have to push aside her self-esteem issues for now; they were much too tiresome. 'Perhaps life is not so terrible,' she mused, 'there are quite a number of activities which are pleasurable.' She began reciting a list to herself in her head. 'Croquet, reading, drawing….' Suddenly her thoughts turned back to Wendy, causing her to frown at her reflection. They would often make secret plans to go on daring adventures; they were rarely put into action but on one occasion they had managed to attend the Topsy Turvy celebration which intrigued them mostly because it was specifically forbidden. They had hidden under hooded cloaks and laughed to themselves at all the silly fashions and wild events. She could no longer do such things without an accomplice. Without someone to assure her that wrong was right, she felt smothered by the rest of the world. Tears formed in her eyes and she braced herself with one hand against the mirror. "I just wish I could go somewhere where everything is backwards!" she choked out. "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would." She began to laugh at herself for wishing such an incredulous thing. Her hand began to tingle. The room around her melted away. Panicked, she attempted to jump back, but she was being pulled forward. She was floating, spiraling through the air. In an instant she was thrown to the ground, colliding with grass and dirt, unconscious. When she awoke she could barely make out the landscape as the sun had already begun to set. She turned around in alarm, seeing nothing but trees and rolling hills. There was no sign of her family, her home, her cat. "Oh dear, now what have I gotten myself into?"

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Here's some other little tidbits I'd like to mention:

-I will often list songs here that inspired the writing of this particular chapter or a scene within it. I may also put the songs up at some point so everyone can hear them. I'm not a big fan of songfics so I will NOT be putting the lyrics directly in the text, but the songs are still good enough for me to put down at the bottom.

-So to start it off, the song which will accompany this chapter is 'Could Be Anything' by the Eames Era, which is intended to be Alice's thoughts. I'll post the link here if/when it is up so keep checking back.


	2. Of Scones and Jam

Alice turned and found nothing but trees. There was no remains of the mirror through which she had traveled. She frowned. After composing herself, she hesitantly walked along a tiny dirt path. It was about the only thing she could make out, largely by touch, as the dark encircled her. 'As soon as I find a home I'll ask the occupants where I am,' she thought to herself. 'Yes. That's the only sensible thing to do.' She walked onward, struggling to keep her composure, to be brave while feeling completely helpless. She meandered on for a few minutes before coming to a dead end. She was faced only with a large oak. She was filled with dread for a moment before realizing the trail simply split into two paths. 'Which way, which way…?' She feared that one direction would ultimately be the bad one, one which took a scenic route through the countryside before reaching a town. She stood their contemplating the predicament, though she knew that no amount of thinking could help her make a properly-informed decision, when she heard laughter echoing in the trees. She spun around, seeing nothing. It was too dark to make anything out and she backed up against the oak instinctively.

"Up here," a voice beckoned her.

She jumped back and turned towards the oak where a large, maniacal smile had appeared.

"You really shouldn't be out by yourself at night, here, in a place such as this," the smile said.

"W-who are you?" Alice asked.

"The Cheshire cat, of course," the grin answered as a body of a pudgy, striped cat appeared, curled up on a tree branch.

"Well, Cheshire cat, might I ask where I am at present? I really don't belong here, I stumbled here through –"

"You may ask, but whether I will answer is undecided," the Cheshire cat said, still grinning.

Alice wondered how he could possibly hold his smile for so long. Its unnaturalness frightened her. "Please, which way should I go?" she pleaded.

"Where do you want to get to?" the cat asked.

'Anywhere but here, at the moment," Alice thought to herself. "Well, I'm not quite sure…."

"Then does it matter which way you go?" the cat asked.

"Just tell me what is in each direction!" Alice exclaimed.

"Well…" the Cheshire cat considered. "If you go this way," he pointed left, "you will find the March Hare. And if you go this way," he pointed right, "you will find the Mad Hatter. And if you go backwards, you will return to where you were."

Alice sighed. "Neither of those options sounds all that appealing. Who else lives in this area?"

"Oh, there's not anyone for miles and miles and miles and miles…." The Cheshire cat said continuously. Eventually his voice faded off into the night. "But of course, I suppose you wouldn't want to have a chat with the goblins…"

"Gobblins?" Alice gulped.

"Yes, they normally lurk about these parts…in the night…searching for lost little girls," the cat answered, eyeing her.

"Then I must be off," Alice said hurriedly.

"Then I bid you farewell. Good luck. Hopefully you will live until morning." The Cheshire cat began to laugh fanatically as his body faded, but his smile remained, lingering as if to purposely frighten Alice even more.

Alice stood at the crossroads, contemplating. "Well, I suppose I will visit the March Hare. At least his insanity is only implied, not specifically named in his title," she said out loud in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort for herself and turned left.

It was not long until she heard chatter and singing. Alice approached the gate of the house cautiously, seeing a group of odd characters gaily talking amongst themselves. It seemed a welcome enough environment. Alice opened the gate and walked into the yard. It was a moment before she was noticed and the entire party stopped and gaped at her.

"Excuse me, young lady, but this is a private party. I think you'd better leave," a young man in an oversized hat said coolly, addressing her first.

"I'm sorry," Alice apologized, "but I seem to have lost my way. In fact I'm quite confused. I was wondering if any of you could tell me where I am. You see I come from Oxford and such a peculiar thing happened. Well, I know this much seem very strange. But one moment I was there, and the next I was not." Alice finished her hurried explanation, hoping that the group would not find her mad. 'Ha, me mad,' she thought to herself. 'Well, they're hypocrites if they shun me.'

Instead, a rabbit, who she perceived to be the March Hare spoke, "Well dear, you are in Wonderland."

Her eyes lit up with recognition. Of course she knew of Wonderland. She had always been taught that it was a place of sin and corrupted creatures whose lives were wholly improper. This had led her and Wendy to have a sort-of fascination with the place, collecting bits of articles which mentioned the realm. Unfortunately, the text always seemed somewhat biased. 'Or maybe it wasn't truly that far off,' she thought, recalling the Cheshire cat.

"Come, sit here with us for awhile. It'll take your mind off your troubles," the rabbit offered.

Alice gladly approached the table, eyeing an open seat next to the man in the large hat, but before she could reach it the chair he placed his foot on it.

"Sorry poppet, no room!"

She blushed, frustrated with his behavior. She walked to the other side of the table, sitting across from him instead. He watched her suspiciously and she glared at him.

"Now Reginald, that's no way to treat our guest," the rabbit scolded him. Reginald opened his mouth but was cut off by the rabbit. "I," he held out his hand, "am known as the March Hare." Alice shook it. "And this, is my good friend Reginald Theophilus," he continued gesturing to Reginald.

"Reginald L. Theophilus the third," the man corrected him.

"Ah, the Mad Hatter!" Alice exclaiming finally making the connection.

"Indeed," Reginald answered, obviously mocking the amount of time it took for her to make the connection that the mad hatter and he were one and the same.

The March Hare continued naming guests by Alice was too infuriated by the rude treatment of the hatter to listen. Eventually the party-goers began chattering again. Alice sat quietly and listened to them discuss matters of which she had no knowledge.

"Well I heard," a woman whispered, "from a card I know, that she's been doing nothing but pacing her bedroom for days. Seems there's trouble ahead."

"Pish posh, I was told by a good friend of mine, a hedgehog, that she has not been socializing with any of the courtiers. She simply remains in the castle."

"Well I, for one, am tired of all your unspoken grievances that you don't dare to grumble anywhere but in your own kitchens," Reginald interjected. "If it were for me to decide I would rid Wonderland of a monarchy altogether."

A few gasped; all wore worried looks on their faces. "Reginald, you know better than to go around speaking heresy such as that!" the March Hare warned him in a harsh tone. "I need not remind you of your parents' fate."

"I beseech you, dear friend," Reginald nearly growled, "not to speak of them."

There was an uncomfortable silence which Alice felt to be smothering her. She spoke in an attempt to end any further quarreling. "Perhaps we shall tell riddles."

"Very well," Reginald answered with annoyance still in his voice. "How is a raven like a writing desk?"

"Ooh," Alice clapped her hands. "Give me a moment."

"Do you mean to say," the Hatter asked, "that you can find the answer to my riddle?"

"Yes," Alice answered confused.

"Well then you should say what you mean," Reginald reprimanded her.

"I do, at least, I mean what I say. It is the same thing in any case."

"It is not the same thing in the least!" the Hatter exclaimed. "You might as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same as 'I eat what I see!' In any case, you should cut your hair. It's not at all the length at which is attractive."

"I can't possibly see how those thoughts are connected, but in any case, you shouldn't make personal remarks. It's very rude."

At this point the rest of the guests were watching the squabble with interest, the March Hare shaking nervously.

"Have you guessed the riddle yet?" Reginald asked, changing the subject again.

"No, I'm afraid not," Alice answered, expecting another taunting. "What is the answer?"

"I have the slightest idea," the Hatter answered, sipping his tea, smirking.

Alice sighed, aggravated with his behavior.

"Have some more tea?" the Hatter asked pleasantly.

"I haven't had anything yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't very well take more."

"You mean you can't very well take less," the Hatter corrected, "it's very easy to take more than nothing."

"No one asked your opinion," said Alice.

"Who's making personal remarks now?" the Hatter answered triumphantly.

Alice sat there seething. She had never been so outwardly insulted. She noticed the Hatter reaching for a scone on the platter between them, and she quickly snatched it before his hand reached for it. 'Juvenile, I know,' she thought.

He only smiled, knowing that she had resorted to something so childish because she could not think of a witty response to his taunting. As she reached for the jam, he retaliated by moving just out of his reach. "You know dear, at this point it would be proper to ask me to pass you the jam."

Alice exploded. "Mr. Theophilus, you are the most arrogant, obnoxious, rude, impolite, ill-mannered man that I have ever met."

"I simply do not enjoy socializing with lost little girls who encroach on others' lives and then do not add anything intellectually to the gathering. You really must only open your mouth if you can improve the silence," he retorted.

"Well, to answer your riddle, a raven is like a writing desk because Edgar Allen Poe wrote about a raven and used a writing desk to do so. I am not completely dense as you seem to have assumed, which, by the way, is overconfident in itself seeing as you do not even know my name. I will not sit idly by while you use me to release your anger on."

"You should learn to be more modest," he answered meekly. "What makes you think that you can waltz in here and pretend to be one of us?" She was right. That's what he had been doing; using her as a means to let out his frustration.

"And you should learn to control your temper," she retorted. She rose abruptly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you all in peace. Farewell."

"Reginald, go after her!" the March Hare insisted.

"You cannot be serious! I would much sooner burn my hat!" the hatter exclaimed passionately.

"She'll be lost in the dark, all alone. These are dangerous times, Reginald. Surely you cannot wish harm upon her."

Reginald sighed in an exaggerated matter then left the party and went off into the dark.

Alice stomped through the brush. "More modest!" she said to herself. What a horrible man. She tripped over a root, landing on her hands and knees. Her hands stung from the fall, her knees ached. She paused a moment before returning to her feet, feeling tears welling up. 'No, don't cry,' she thought. 'That's the last thing you need.' Something hit her behind and she squealed before someone's weight collapsed on her.

"Oh! Dreadfully sorry!" a man's voice cried. She could breathe once more when he rolled off her.

Her shock disappeared when she recognized the voice. "Quite…alright," she said through gritted teeth. The thought occurred to her that she was still lying on the ground, her skirt most likely thrown up to reveal her knickers. She blushed in the dark and rose to her feet. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well, the March Hare sent me after you," he replied. "He was worried."

"Ah." They stood there for a moment. "I don't suppose you have any suggestions as to where I should go? I haven't the slightest idea how to return to England."

"Listen…" he said ignoring her question. "I apologize for my behavior earlier. It was wrong of me to treat you in such a manner."

She hadn't expected an apology. "Well…we can begin again. I'm Alice Liddell," she curtsied in the dark.

"Pleased to meet you," he replied, taking her hand. "I'll lead you back to the house."


	3. The Dangers of Dancing

Just so everyone knows, there was a minor change made in the first chapter which will be highly significant later on. Obviously no one wants to go back and read the whole thing to find it, so here are the added lines: _Her mother had talked of nothing but her possible engagement on the way home, to a man she had never met. What a frightening proposition. But then maybe she was overreacting. Maybe this was just how life was. _

Also, the beginning of the second chapter was altered to read:

_Alice turned and found nothing but trees. There was no remains of the mirror through which she had traveled. She frowned. After composing herself, she hesitantly_ _walked along a tiny dirt path._

This way there's no question that there isn't just a portal back to England where she arrived in Wonderland.

Now on with the story!

Okay, is REALLY messing up the text. I don't know why, but its smooshing all the dialogue together into huge paragraphs which are impossible to read. Luckily I'm able to easily edit text on deviantart, so go read this chapter there. It won't let me post a link either (God, I hate but you can look up takingtheblade and you'll find this chapter there. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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**The Dangers of Dancing**

Alice returned with Reginald to the Hare's yard where only a few guests lingered, finishing their tea. Realizing her hand was still in his, she removed it hastily. The Hare smiled at them in a way reminiscent of a grandfather, clearly relieved at their arrival. Alice timidly returned to her former seat, feeling silly and childish for storming off earlier.

"You must stay with me tonight," the Hare concluded after noticing Alice's worried expression. "In the morning when we've all had some rest you can explain your situation and we'll see what to do."

She was momentarily comforted by the thought that perhaps someone in Wonderland had some sense, contrary to all she had read, but all feelings of security vanished when she entered the Hare's home after the Hatter bid her goodnight and the other guests had merrily made their way home. It seemed that every appliance and piece of furnisher donned rabbit ears. The interior was a bold mustard yellow and multiple, unfinished jig-saw puzzles lay on countertops as well as the floor. Alice tip-toed along, careful not to trip over anything as the Hare showed her the guest room. As soon as he exited she collapsed onto the tiny bed, exhausted. She curled up in order for her full body to lie on the bed and sighed into the rabbit pillow. In a matter of moments she was fast asleep.

The next morning she was awakened by the awful glare of the sun on her face. She groaned and turned so that she was facing the wall, shielding her head with arm. At once she was hit with the realization that she was not home in England, but rather in a greatly unexplored land surrounded by madmen. She gulped. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and decided to venture out of the room. She reached the kitchen to find the Hatter sitting at a miniature table with the Hare, snarfing down various breakfast foods.

"Morning!" he greeted her cheerfully between bites of omelette. "Good day, Mr. Theophilus," she answered with a wary smile. "Please, call me Reginald," he replied. She did not respond but only accompanied them at the table. After a bit of exchanging pleasantries and much urging for her to eat, which she refused, the Hare finally changed the subject to her journey to Wonderland. "Well, I was sitting in my home in England, and was leaning against a mirror. All of a sudden I went through the mirror. I know that sounds absurd, but when I was on the ground again I was somewhere else entirely." "Fascinating!" Reginald exclaimed as both he and the Hare leaned closer to Alice, their eyes wide. "What happened next?" Alice felt as if she was telling children a fantastical bedtime story. "Well I wandered along for a bit and finally came to a fork in the road. That's when I met the Cheshire Cat." "Oh, that fellow," Reginald interjected, rolling his eyes. "And there he was," Alice continued, "grinning like a madman –" "I resent that comment!" the Hatter said in mock anger. "Well, it was quite disheartening!" Alice said, defending her characterization. "He didn't seem all…there," she said struggling to find the appropriate words to describe the fear he had caused her. "Well that's to be expected; I'm sure he comes off as quite strange to newcomers," the Hare chuckled. "Quite so," the Hatter agreed, but then leaned towards Alice and said in a softer tone, "I understand. But he's just an old man with too much time on his hands. Don't let him frighten you." "Yes, well," Alice began, attempting to steer away from the subject of her cowardice. "What's most important now is how I can return to England. I really must be getting back." "I'm at a loss as to how to solve your dilemma. My suggestion is to ask the sorcerer," the Hare shrugged. 

"The sorcerer?" Alice asked hesitantly. "Don't worry, he's more of a normal chap than I," the Hatter commented in response to Alice's furrowed brow. "That's not difficult," Alice muttered. "You're in luck. He's a bit of a recluse, but he'll be at the party tonight," the Hatter continued, ignoring her. Alice's eyes lit up. "What kind of a party?" "The Duchess' unbirthday party," the Hare replied. "Quite a big to-do." "Then it's settled! I will escort Alice to the party tonight!" the Hatter grinned. Alice rolled her eyes. She felt his hand on her knee and turned a light shade of red. "Now, m'dear, have a crumpet." "No thank you," she said, turning her nose up at his offering. "Heavens woman! You can't very well not eat any breakfast!" "Yes I can!" "Fine!" he said throwing down the crumpet. "Go ahead and starve!" They sat there like spoiled children, daring the other to speak first. Neither budged. The March Hare sighed and sipped his tea. ------ As the sun set Alice set out with the Hare down the path towards the vast, open field where the unbirthday party was to be held. They both carried presents decorated with loud paper and extravagant bows. Alice worried over her appearance and the impression she would make on the Duchess and the sorcerer as the Hare idly wondered about the flavor of punch that would be served. They arrived to find the field swarming with guests and filled with lively music. Long tables stacked with various treats lined the perimeter of the area along with flickering candlesticks. The events should have made Alice feel at ease, for she was quite familiar with the banquets and balls of polite society, but she was more preoccupied with her inability to prepare herself properly through dress and hair and the nagging feeling that this party was to be unlike any she had ever attended. The Hare had wandered to a group of other woodland creatures who he began chatting with enthusiastically. Alice stood near the table on which she had placed her gift and surveyed the dance floor uncertainly. She couldn't very well converse with the other guests; she hadn't been properly introduced. Just then the Hatter appeared from the crowd, rushing towards her. "Alice," he addressed her with a hurried bow. "So wonderful to see you tonight. I–" "I'd prefer if you addressed me as 'Miss Liddell,'" she replied coldly. She immediately realized her rudeness and opened her mouth to apologize but was not given the chance. "Yes, well. You know what they say Alice: 'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet!'" testing her with a devious grin. "I suppose that was a compliment," Alice muttered weakly, ending the discussion there. She had barely been in Wonderland and yet already she was exhausted. "Now, back to the matter at hand: may I have this dance?" he inquired, looking at her questioningly. Alice had only time to nod before being swept away into the fray of couples spinning gracefully, women's skirts reflecting the light of flames from the countless candles, rustling with elegance. She felt the pressure of his hand on the small of her back and she effortlessly fell into position, allowing herself to be led across the dance floor. He was quite a good dancer, but his skill was ruined by his cockiness. He had clearly done this before, with countless women. Alice occupied herself by surveying those around her and attempting to keep an eye out for the Duchess of whose importance and respectable nature she was sure of. Reginald seemed to notice that her primary focus was not on him, as he assumed it should be, and took to pulling her closer. She glared at him and he asked as innocently as possible, "Having a pleasant time, poppet?" "Mr. Theophilus!" she exclaimed. "I will have none of your toying with me. You really shouldn't say such things." "I probably shouldn't, but I take to doing things I'm not allowed to," he grinned mischievously. "And please, call me Reginald." "I'll do no such thing," she turned up her nose at him, still waltzing along with him. "Well if you won't abide by my rules, I shan't bother with yours either, Alice," he retorted good-naturedly. They soon retired from the dance floor to a hill which overlooked the entire celebration. Sitting in silence for a few moments, catching their breaths, they enjoyed the scenery. Alice was somewhat flustered when the silence was finally broken by her companion. "Tell me what you're thinking, dear." She felt intimidated. She couldn't bear to burden him with the trivialities of her life. "I was thinking about how wonderful the party is," she said enthusiastically as she could manage. He chuckled. "Come now. This time answer honestly." 'Can he truly read me that well?' she thought, taken aback. 'We've only just met. Perhaps he's just guessing.' "Well…I was just wishing I was more prepared for tonight. At home my sisters and I usually take a few hours getting ready and such for events like these. I just feel a little…underdressed." "Underdressed? You look as if you've come from a wedding!" he said, confused. "Well..that's true…" Alice replied, attempting to explain. "I just don't feel presentable." "Ah," he replied, a realization clearly lighting up his eyes in the relative darkness. "I thought you were strange before, but now I know we must both be mad!" "What?" Alice responded, feeling hurt that he was mocking her feelings. "I have absolutely no idea what you mean. I simply –" "I mean to say," he interjected "that you must be a fool to think yourself ugly." "I said no such thing!" she sputtered. "I don't think myself ugly at all." "Then you shouldn't be the least bit bothered if I go find myself a dance partner more attractive than you, for you're just dripping with self-confidence," Reginald challenged her. Her brow furrowed. "N-not at all!" she stuttered. He softened, moving closer to her. "Alice, I may be somewhat round the bend, but I know full well you're the loveliest young lady here tonight." She shook her head fervently. "No, you flatter me too much Mr. Theophilus. I have two sisters, both of whom far exceed my beauty. I'm realistic enough to know the truth." She couldn't believe she was discussing this with him. She'd never revealed these insecurities to anyone before, not even Wendy, although she was sure she had known without the words. And here she was, pouring out her heart to a perfect stranger. Hm, a perfect stranger. What a phrase. Yet he was far from perfect. He was arrogant and argumentative and was most likely just trying to get in her knickers. Her mother had warned her about men such as him and yet she wanted to believe that he did not have that evilness in him. She wanted him to defy the stereotype. "Nonsense! There's a good number of chaps here who I'm sure would throw themselves at your feet and propose on the spot!" She didn't respond. "Myself included," he continued, hoping to get a rise out of her. Nothing. "You've left me no choice," he said rising and advancing towards her. "I suppose we'll just have to take a poll, then." He grabbed her arm, forcing to her move from the ground where she'd wished to be left alone for an eternity, thoroughly embarrassed. He dragged her along for a few steps before she began struggling against his rough treatment. 

"Let go of me, you – you scoundrel!" she cried, attempting to claw away his hand which was firmly planted around her delicate forearm.

"Sorry poppet, but the time for negotiation is over," he grinned.

He led her to a group of men conversing. "Excuse me! Beg your pardon! I'm conducting some research: what do you think of my little Alice here? Pretty little thing, isn't she?"

"Your Alice?!" she shouted, outraged.

The men seemed not to hear her protests. Some cheered and hollered while others gave Reginald the thumbs-up or called out "Good show!" and the others clapped in agreement. The Hatter continued on his humiliating trip around the party, pulling a squirming Alice to men who would laugh and express their wishes to be her lover. Once they had crossed the entire party, Reginald released Alice, plopping her down into a garden chair.

"How dare you!" she shouted, never having felt so disrespected.

"Listen to me, Alice! What I've just done was for your sake alone…although I did quite a few compliments as well," he stopped to adjust his hat, feeling quite proud of himself. Noticing how angry she truly was, he continued hurriedly. "You shouldn't feel inadequate any longer. And anyone who dares to tell you you're not beautiful is a fool."

She sat there stunned. She didn't appreciate his methods at all, but it was all rather sweet. 'No. Don't fall for it, Alice. It's too good to be true.' She sighed. She couldn't struggle against her mother's words buried deep within her. She shook her head, hoping it would rid her of them. It worked, for the time being. She put on a smile and reached out her hand to him. He helped her up. He looked surprised, but more relieved and pleased than anything.

Just then the orchestra stopped playing and all conversation quickly ceased. Both Alice and Reginald turned to see an elderly man with an enormous, black cloak enter. He looked both solemn and confused and people cleared the way for him to walk directly to an empty table. Whispering began, but no one approached him. 'He must be the sorcerer they were talking about earlier,' Alice thought as she looked upon the man sitting alone among the thrones of people.

"Introduce me!" Alice squealed with excitement, turning to Reginald.

Reginald looked flustered. "Er, um, how about we get some punch first?"

"No! This cannot wait. I want to talk to him about getting back to England. Don't tell me you're too frightened of him."

"Of course not!" Reginald squeaked.

"Good!" Alice replied, before walking directly towards the sorcerer.

She and the Hatter arrived at his table and he turned slowly towards them, his expression never changing. Alice nudged the Hatter after a moment, clearing her throat.

"Why hello there," the Hatter said nervously. "This is Ms. Alice Liddell. She's recently come to us from England."

"Pleased to meet you!" Alice said politely, extending her arm. The sorcerer merely looked at her hand but made no move to take it.

"I'd like to talk to you about how to get home, you see. I came through a mirror here and I need to find another way to return."

They waited for a few minutes in silence. Alice was about to prompt him again when finally the sorcerer spoke: "Ah, yes. The portals. You see, there are many portals throughout the world. Only a few have been found, however. Each portal has a sister portal which leads back to a location relatively close to the other. You're in luck: the portal at the edge of the forest has a documented sister portal in Wonderland."

"Fabulous! Where is it?" the Hatter exclaimed.

"It is in a well…in Glockenshire."

"Glockenshire?" Reginald pondered. "That's a pretty quick jaunt from here."

Alice smiled, relieved that it would not be a complicated journey. "Well it should be nice to take a walk through the country. I've always enjoyed long walks, anyhow."

"Very nice. Leave me be," the sorcerer said, turning from them.

They turned meekly. "Awfully rude man, I'd say," Alice whispered as she and Reginald walked away from the sorcerer.

Reginald shrugged. He had other things on his mind. In fact, he wished not to think of her departure that would inevitably occur the next morning. "Now is the time to celebrate the end of your troubles. You can focus on enjoying yourself instead of worrying over your route home."

"That's true, I suppose," she thought for a moment, shaking herself of her stress and smiled.

"Let's get you some champagne," he grinned. He quickly picked up a glass from a nearby table and handed it to her before taking one for himself. It tasted like water. He handed her another when she had finished her first.

"Come, let's dance," he said, not waiting for her reply before leading her to the floor. She struggled to put down her glass as she was pushed towards the center of the field.

The music was relatively slower this time and the music seemed to lull her to sleep. She felt light-headed. She felt his breath tickle her ear as he whispered various pieces of gossip about the couples they passed. She could hear herself giggling far too much, but she did not seem to have much control over her body. She let herself be swept along. Was she floating? She couldn't tell.

'It's such a pity that's she's leaving tomorrow,' he thought. 'She's much more intriguing than the women around here.' He frowned. He had a sinking feeling that it would be difficult to replace her after she was gone.

"Mmm." Her head fell against his chest. Suddenly she was feeling very tired. "I'm disappointed I didn't get to meet the Duchess."

"Believe me, you aren't missing much," he patted her back while supporting her with his other arm. He felt it best not to go into the Duchess' political faults just now.


End file.
